Cleaning Air Ducts: What You Need to Know
Keeping your HVAC system in peak condition includes keeping the air ducts clean. See how you can save money, increase comfort, and breathe easier.
Whether you’re looking to clean out your house this spring or just want to get into more of a routine of clearing clutter around your home, here are a few tips to help you stay organized.
One of the most important things you should do when cleaning your house is to address clutter. The act of decluttering and purging unnecessary belongings from our homes is often easier planned for, described, and anticipated than it is done. Many of us find it difficult to part with sentimental items like photos and notes and clothes that evoke a specific memory, but many of us also find it hard to part with things we know we can do without.
Knowing how to declutter doesn’t come naturally to all: Maybe you can’t stand the thought of parting with that old box of photos or that shirt you haven’t worn in years (but you want to keep it anyway because it looked so great that one time you wore it). As tempting as it may seem to accept that your life (and home) will always be chaotic, know that decluttering your home actually reduces anxiety and stress and minimizes the time you spend cleaning your house on the regular.
When determining how to declutter your home, there are certain pillars of decluttering to keep in mind:
After clearing out your house, avoid the dumpster as much as possible. Here are some of the most common clutter culprits and alternate uses.
Now that all of the clutter is cleaned out from your house, organize each room to maximize the space. For example, if your garage is all out of sorts, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a professional cleaning service to get the space in order—you can do it all yourself.
Before you step foot in a home improvement store or container store, take some time to decide what you want out of your garage. Does it need to be a place for your children to play, with storage for chalk and other outdoor toys? Or, do you need space for car care and maintenance products because you’ve invested in a luxury car?
Think about your garage space and remember these important tips when organizing your garage:
After organizing, give your garage the deep cleaning it’s been desperate for by going from ceiling to floor. Follow these quick steps to have your garage cleaned up and sanitized in no time:
Another big area of your house that could use some additional cleaning love is the closet. Attempting to organize closet space can be a daunting challenge. We’ve all been there—staring at mounds of clothes piled so high that one wrong move could send them toppling, trying to pair mismatched shoes strewn across the floor, and spending more than 30 minutes trying to untangle necklaces from bracelets from rings.
Remove everything from your closet—hangers, clothes, boxes, etc.—and lay them out on a clean sheet to be organized into piles. Then, create a donation pile and include clothes that aren’t stained, haven’t been worn in over a year (formal clothes are an exception), are unflattering, or are uncomfortable. Once you’re finished adding clothes to the donation pile, put the items in a trash bag and consider dropping them off at a Goodwill or local women’s shelter.
Before putting clothes and shoes back into your closet, give the space a thorough cleaning. Though an empty closet can be considered “clean,” there’s still room to wipe down shelves and racks and vacuum or mop the closet floor. Get rid of any trash you find during this cleaning process, like clothing tags, store receipts, and empty shopping bags.
After you finish cleaning, be intentional about putting the items you use most in easily accessible places. Store your most-used items at eye level, less-used items below, and least-used items on higher shelves. For example, if you have a 9–5 job that consumes most of your week, hang work clothes at eye level, casual clothes a level below, and special occasion clothing in the back of your closet.
To truly remove all of the dirt and grime from certain areas of your house, get specific with your cleaning habits and target specific areas of each room.
Dirty blinds can harbor dust, pet fur, and other allergens that affect the indoor air quality of your home. Fortunately, cleaning blinds is easy and can be done within an hour. Before cleaning your blinds, determine what type of material they’re made of. Most are made from wood, fabric, or plastic. For horizontal blinds (or venetian blinds), work top to bottom. For vertical blinds, work left to right, starting at the top, and slowly make your way toward the bottom.
Try a vacuum specifically made to tackle the problem of pet hair. You can clean daily and more quietly with a microfiber or electrostatic dry mop. Quick, simple, and less strenuous than vacuuming, a mop can give you a thorough clean as often as you’d like without the trouble. Avoid sweeping with a broom, which will spread pet hair even more than a vacuum.
The secret to thoroughly cleaning your carpets and rugs is investing in a high-quality vacuum with a HEPA filter. Powerful suction and a filter that prevents releasing hair and dander back into your home will make your vacuum an indispensable tool in the never-ending battle against pet hair invasion. We recommend vacuuming every two or three days.
A bit more strenuous than vacuuming, sweeping with a rubber broom or squeegee gives you a satisfying clean, especially in high traffic areas. For persistent pet hair, sprinkle baking soda over your carpets before you clean to help loosen the hair from carpet fibers.
If you’re short on time, invest in a robotic vacuum and program it to sweep through your entire house while you’re at work.
Pet hair isn’t the only thing you’ll see collecting on your coffee tables and nightstands. Dust and dander are especially conspicuous on wood furniture and can cause allergic reactions in some people. You can stay on top of pet hair and dust on your surfaces by wiping them down with a damp microfiber or cotton cloth. Beware of dry dusting, which just pushes dust and hair around.
Take a quick pass over your upholstered furniture with the same damp microfiber or cotton cloth you used on your wood furniture—be sure to rinse the cloth frequently to avoid spreading hair around. You can also use a lightly damp sponge or lightly water-spritzed rubber gloves. You can prevent pet hair from ever getting on your furniture by spreading a washable slipcover or blanket on the furniture where you allow your pets.
Cleaning Air Ducts: What You Need to Know
Keeping your HVAC system in peak condition includes keeping the air ducts clean. See how you can save money, increase comfort, and breathe easier.
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Kealia is an editor at House Method and is an expert on home warranties, home improvement, and real estate.
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